Catch Me – Release Me – FLA License Plate Approved

The state of Florida has more than 100 specialty license plates – Protect Wild Dolphins (not the Miami football team, although they have a tag, too), Save the Manatees, Support Education, Fish Florida, and so on. One of the most recent additions strikes a happy chord with the Guy Harvey family. Florida’s new Guy Harvey, Catch Me…Release Me license plate proudly promotes the catch and release philosophy that has gained so much traction in the fishing community.

Of the 17 million cars registered in Florida, 1.4 million sport a specialty logo…Golf Capital of the World, Invest in Children, and the oh-so-wise Share the Road. The cool thing about these tags is that they allow drivers to flaunt their beliefs and support that cause with a donation. In 2009, the Department of Motor Vehicles distributed some $35 million to various organizations under the program. Naturally, part of the proceeds of each Guy Harvey license plate will go to help fund the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation.

The new Guy Harvey plate didn’t just appear by happenstance. It took years of lobbying Florida’s state officials to turn the idea into reality. The Catch Me…Release Me license plate is scheduled to be available to Florida drivers in 2011. Plans to expand into other states are ongoing.